Skin response to histamine dry skin prick test: influence of duration of the skin prick on clinical parameters and on skin blood flow monitoring.
This comparative trial (histamine dry skin prick test versus control prick test) evaluates with subjective and objective clinical methods (i.e. itch scores, wheal area, and wheal and flare area) and with laser Doppler flowmetry (multiple sites measured between 5 and 15 min after prick test) the effect of increasing the duration of the skin prick (1, 3 and 10 s). As compared with control prick tests, all objective clinical parameters after histamine prick test were significantly different from the control prick tests. There was no interaction between agonist-duration of prick test and clinical parameters. When present, itch was reported only after histamine prick test. Skin blood perfusion values were evaluated with Laser Doppler flowmetry at prick test sites and at 1 cm distance from the prick test site. At control and histamine prick test sites, increased blood flow values were observed and a moderate interaction between agonist-duration of prick test and repeated measurement was noted (one tail P less than 0.05); there were indeed lower values 9 min after histamine prick tests whatever the duration of the prick test. At 1 cm distance from histamine prick test sites, all skin perfusion measurements (either 5-8 or 11-14 min) showed increased values over data recorded after control prick test (P less than 0.0001). On pooled data recorded at distance from histamine or control prick tests, there was a significant interaction between agonist-duration of prick test and laser Doppler flowmetry (P less than 0.0004).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Van Neste
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Skin Study Center, Skinterface SPRL, Tournai, Belgium.
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D006632:Histamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
D006632:Histamine